Turkey state of emergency to end nominally on July 18

Turkey will next week lift the state of emergency introduced after a failed 2016 coup and which granted the government greater powers, presidential spokesman İbrahim Kalın said on Friday.

"The current state of emergency is coming to an end on the night of July 18. Mr President has the will... not to extend it" Kalın told reporters. State of emergency could be re-introduced in case of emerging terrorist threat, he added.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has previously insisted that the emergency measures would not be lifted until the "terrorist threat" is completely eliminated from the country. "State of emergency guards against terrorism and prevents workers from going out on strike," Erdoğan said.

The Turkish parliament is to 'discuss' an amendment package, including the broad authority of declaring a 'partial' state of emergency for 'fight against terrorism' as the existing state of emergency is ending on July 19, local media reported yesterday.

The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which is in an alliance with Erdoğan's ruling AKP, had previously said that the state of emergency should be extended further. The party is known for its hardline nationalism, pro-US, pro-NATO stance and deep antipathy to communists.

The parliament is reported to discuss the adjustments for declaring a partial state of emergency in case of terror attacks, establishing "safe territories" and "crisis management centres" around the country.